Stevie to perform on this Sunday's Grammy Awards

[Livia]

More from Butch:

Taylor Swift collaborator Butch Walker on their much-discussed Grammy performance: 'a lot of people give her unnecessary grief'
by Clark Collis

Butch Walker admits his appearance last night on the Grammys playing banjolin in Taylor Swift’s backing band may have confused some viewers. “I’m sure there were plenty of people going, ‘Who’s the idiot with tattoos up there with her?” he laughs. While Walker is a singer-songwriter in his own right (his new country-rock-pop collection, “I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart,” is out February 23) he is best known as a behind-the-scenes producer and tunesmith who has collaborated with the likes of Avril Lavigne, All-American Rejects, and fellow Grammy performer Pink. But it was a YouTube video of Walker recording his own version of Swift’s “You Belong With Me” —a clip that has so far been watched a quarter of a million times—that resulted in his Grammys appearance last night. After the break, Walker recalls his night of glory, addresses the subject of Swift’s somewhat off-key performance, and reveals that not everyone likes to watch him pee.

Entertainment Weekly: So, Butch, how’s the hangover?
Butch Walker: The hangover is fair to partly cloudy. I had a blast, it was so fun. And it was great being onstage. You could tell by watching me: I was dancing like a… a… jerk, basically. I was elated to hear this huge pop star doing my version of her song. And performing with Stevie Nicks (who sang with Swift on both “You Belong With Me” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon”) didn’t suck either.

Was there a problem with the sound onstage? There seems to be a wide consensus of opinion that Taylor was struggling to find the right notes when she was singing “Rhiannon.”
I didn’t really notice it being out of key that much. But I guess the TV doesn’t lie. I think a lot of people give her unnecessary grief. Her appeal is not in [having] some sort of big diva voice. Like, Pink obviously has a voice of God coming out of her when she sings and it’s beautiful and it’s powerful and bluesy. Taylor comes from country. It’s a difference approach to singing.

It must also be pretty terrifying to perform with Stevie Nicks for a global audience.
There is that factor, you know. How about anybody try doing that without being nervous? It wasn’t even my show and I was nervous.

How did you come to record “You Belong With Me” in the first place?
I played it kind of jokingly at one of my shows, because I loved the song so much, and it went over really well. The next night I was in the studio and said, ‘I want to record a studio version of that.’ She’s known as a country star, but the song and production that she did couldn’t have been more pop. So I said, ‘Maybe I’ll do a country version. I recorded it in a couple of hours, filmed me doing it, and posted it on YouTube. I woke up the next morning and there were like 50,000 views already, because she had seen it and twittered about it and I guess she was in favor. It kind of took off from there.

We get to see you peeing in the video. What kind of reaction did you get from Taylor Swift fans about that?
It was hilarious. “Why is he peeing? That’s gross!” and “Why is he even in this video? Why don’t they just play the song? He’s stupid.” But I’m not complaining.

Why isn’t your version of the song on I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart?
It was never intended to be anything more than a lighthearted take on a good pop song. I’m certainly not avoiding it, and when people buy the record I think they’ll get some sort of download code or something to get it. But I didn’t want to have played music for 20 years, and toured my whole life, and all of a sudden I’m only known for a cover song. There’s some sort of pride and ego that gets in the way of that. I’m just trying to be careful in my old age!

http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/02/01/taylor-swift-butch-walker/

[GypsyBlueEyes]

I didn’t really notice it being out of key that much. But I guess the TV doesn’t lie. I think a lot of people give her unnecessary grief. Her appeal is not in [having] some sort of big diva voice. Like, Pink obviously has a voice of God coming out of her when she sings and it’s beautiful and it’s powerful and bluesy. Taylor comes from country. It’s a difference approach to singing.

The way her performance comes off has nothing to do with having a country approach to singing as opposed to having a powerful voice, be it bluesy or otherwise. What a truly ridiculous explanation. I'm not a big fan of country music at this point in time but growing up I did go through phases where I liked it. I've heard enough country music to know that the good stuff doesn't sound like Taylor Swift does live. There was no way he was going to say anything negative about her performance though. He wouldn't have even been there if it hadn't been for her.

This is just the way the music business is now. Its more about who has an image that can be marketed & money that can be made and less about talent.

[Jondalar]

CMT is bragging about Taylor's performance.

"But, in a very telling moment of television, in the middle of Taylor's duet with the veteran Stevie Nicks on Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" and Swift's "You Belong With Me," it became very apparent that Swift was in charge there, taking total command of the performance. It was a very polished and mature performance."

Huh? WTF?

[AliceLover]

Like, was everyone expecting anything better? Clearly Stevie met this girl earlier this week and threw this performance together.

I guess i'm in the minority but I REALLY LIKED IT! And Stevie did get into YBWM by the end of it doin her shimmy thing which she barely did the entire Unleashed tour!

[GypsyBlueEyes]

CMT is bragging about Taylor's performance.

"But, in a very telling moment of television, in the middle of Taylor's duet with the veteran Stevie Nicks on Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" and Swift's "You Belong With Me," it became very apparent that Swift was in charge there, taking total command of the performance. It was a very polished and mature performance."

Huh? WTF?

YIKES! Did they watch the same Grammy's everyone else did??? :distress:

[Macfanforever]

Hi all,has any one had time to tune in ET,Extra,Access Hollywood,E news,TMZ and other coverage of the awards,if Stevie appeared on them..
Yes CMT,MTV sucks.

[APerfectLie]

Agreed... and THIS is proof!

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sJGIv62Y-TI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sJGIv62Y-TI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Stevie needs to bring this look back. She looks so much more youthful with the whole flowing/almost a dress top and the tight black pants. I also loved the reddish/purplish pants she wore during TISL.

[silversprings62]

Actually, Stevie was not off-key, she was trying to let Taylor lead, but she just couldn't. And Rhiannon is not a simple song to sing, in fact, Stevie herself has said that it is one of her more difficult songs and many other artists don't even go near it.

agreed......Taylor was off, and Stevie was dead on........simple as that.

[StreetAngel86]

Stevie was amazing as usual, but Taylor.....no.

<img src="http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs199.snc3/20663_303614358932_303581108932_4486592_4527700_n.jpg">

:lol: :lol:

DEATH BY TAMBO

[Livia]

He wouldn't have even been there if it hadn't been for her.


Butch has been a Grammy nominee as a producer/writer and he could have easily been there in some capacity with Pink or another band/artist. He's not exactly a newbie in the biz, Rolling Stone once named him Producer of the Year. But if you meant as a performer, then yes, Taylor helped.

[GypsyBlueEyes]

Butch has been a Grammy nominee as a producer/writer and he could have easily been there in some capacity with Pink or another band/artist. He's not exactly a newbie in the biz, Rolling Stone once named him Producer of the Year. But if you meant as a performer, then yes, Taylor helped.

Yeah, I was referring to the opportunity to be on stage only because he's mentioned more than once how great it was to be up there with Stevie and Waddy. :)

[LittleCharmer]

I nearly imploded with excitement when I heard about this.. Then I watched it.
Those harmonies were dreadful. Nice idea in theory, bad in reality.
Nice for Stevie to perform though..

[WelshWitchPMD]

Hi all,has any one had time to tune in ET,Extra,Access Hollywood,E news,TMZ and other coverage of the awards,if Stevie appeared on them..
Yes CMT,MTV sucks.

The only thing I saw was some commentary on TMZ. Basically one of the guys said that he didn't enjoy Taylor and he wished that she would have shut up once Stevie came up on stage.

[gypsy4life]

Stevie was a good sport to say the least. She did wonderful, considering.

[gypsy4life]

God, nothing was more embarrassing than watching Squinty try to be all sexy~ during Rhiannon. :rolleyes: Even Stevie shot her a "wtf" look as soon as they started singing. Stevie wasn't the one off-key there.

I agree! I mean, Stevie is a superb harmony singer, and she tried to save it, but....not much could have helped. Like I said, Stevie was a good sport. God, she had to sing about "short skirts and bleachers!" :distress:

[Amlyn]

Here's a pic I saw online from back stage last night. I think Stevie looks great here. Who's she holding hands with?

8637

[StreetAngel86]

Here's a pic I saw online from back stage last night. I think Stevie looks great here. Who's she holding hands with?

8637

Micks. ..............

[michelej1]

They may have sounded fantastic during rehearsals - but Taylor's inexperience and nervousness got the best of her during the live performance.

I really can't imagine Taylor sounding fantastic during rehearsals. And I'm not against her. I haven't bothered with her much since "Our Song," but that leaped out at me, the first time I heard it. I'd turn on the Country channel just hoping they'd play it.

Michele

[Lexi]

I haven't even watched the performance yet.. I'm too scared.

I'm sure Taylor tried her best though.

But seriously, whoever organised this needs a bit of a whack across the head.. Stevie is too talented and wonderful to sing with amateurs.

[Jondalar]

Taylor Swift has mixed reviews from Grammy night

The good news: At 20, Taylor Swift has become the youngest-ever recording artist to win Grammy's biggest prize, album of the year. She also becomes the only Nashville performer to win that prize with a solo album.

"Nashville is my favorite place in the world, and to see it recognized in such a beautiful way makes me so happy," Swift said backstage Sunday night, after being told that her big win followed Kings of Leon notching the first best record win for a Nashville rock act.

In all, Swift won four trophies at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. After Fearless also won for best country album, the singer-songwriter said, "I'm standing here accepting an impossible dream right now, and I thank you so much for that."

Now the bad news: Response to her duet with Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks during the telecast has been overwhelmingly harsh.

The genre-blending duet — on Nicks' "Rhiannon" with Swift's "You Belong With Me" — drew sharp reviews from critics, both professional and in the social networking and blogging world.

Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Swift gave a strikingly bad vocal performance at Staples Center on Sunday, sounding tinny and rhythmically flat-footed as she shared the microphone with the distinctive Stevie Nicks."

Chris Richards of The Washington Post wrote, "A night in the charmed life of Taylor Swift: Give an incredibly wretched vocal performance, go on to win the biggest Grammy of 2010, anyway."

The Tennessean's Dave Paulson chimed in on a live blog: "Maybe a smidge of Jamie Foxx's autotune wouldn't be such a bad idea for this duet."

Respected music industry blogger Bob Lefsetz first wrote that Fearless deserved to win album of the year, but then proffered that Swift might have single-handedly imperiled her career with this one Grammy performance: "How awful was she? Dreadful."

Scott Borchetta, president and CEO of Swift's record label Big Machine Records, had this response late Monday night.

"The facts say she is the undisputed best communicator that we’ve got," Borchetta said. "So when she says something or feels something it affects more people than anybody else. Maybe she’s not the best technical singer, but she is the best emotional singer. Everybody gets up there and is technically perfect people don’t seem to want more of it. There’s not an artist in any other format that people want more of than they want of Taylor. I think (the critics) are missing the whole voice of a generation that is happening right in front of them. Maybe they are jealous or can’t understand that. But obviously the people that she talks to are engaged with her. No one is perfect on any given day. Maybe in that moment we didn’t have the best night, but in the same breath, maybe we did."

A midday release announcing Swift's awards noted that immediately after the Sunday show, Swift and her band "left for LAX, headed to Australia and Japan, where she will perform several sold-out shows before returning to the States to launch her FEARLESS 2010 tour March 4th in Tampa."

— PETER COOPER AND LINDA ZETTLER

[wildheart048]

I just watched the grammys (mostly on FF) this morning...I was so excited for Stevie...and she fullfilled my hopes...she looked and sounded fantastic...

Having said that...I've not ever heard Taylor Swift before...WTF? The girl cannot sing a lick? How is she famous? It was painful to watch, and even more painful to listen to...

BUTT! my favorite moment was in fact Stevie pointing to the sky during the line in TS's song about the bleacher...haha! Stevie was so not the girl in the bleachers...:angel:

have to say...P!nk was freaking awesome...as was GaGa, imho...

[DeeGeMe]

I've seen Taylor Swift sing live on several tv shows--she's always awful! Is her fanbase tone death or are they honestly clueless about what good singing sounds like? I give her points for writing her own songs and playing the guitar etc. and she's a lovely girl, but she really, really needs to work on her vocals. Or stop singing live.

[luckydimecaper]

Taylor Swift has mixed reviews from Grammy night

"The facts say she is the undisputed best communicator that we’ve got," Borchetta said. "So when she says something or feels something it affects more people than anybody else. Maybe she’s not the best technical singer, but she is the best emotional singer. Everybody gets up there and is technically perfect people don’t seem to want more of it. There’s not an artist in any other format that people want more of than they want of Taylor. I think (the critics) are missing the whole voice of a generation that is happening right in front of them. Maybe they are jealous or can’t understand that. But obviously the people that she talks to are engaged with her. No one is perfect on any given day. Maybe in that moment we didn’t have the best night, but in the same breath, maybe we did."[/B]

I'm sick of hearing comments like this. People are defending her saying that "oh but she's a good songwriter and writes her own material" or like above "she's not technically good but she's emotional and connects with people".. Well then stick to songwriting and lay off the singing!
What happened to those people who have ALL of these qualities? Great performances, voice, songwriting, emotional connection to people.. Surely, for someone to be really seen as worthy to win that many awards and to be that big of a star, you should be able to tick all the boxes? Not just scrape by when you can't even sing live.

[Livia]

I am loving all the great press Butch Walker is getting:

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/butch-walker-remakes-taylor-swifts-you-belong-with-me-235224

[David]

I'm sick of hearing comments like this. People are defending her saying that "oh but she's a good songwriter and writes her own material" or like above "she's not technically good but she's emotional and connects with people".. Time, being the ultimate judge of all art, will tell, I guess. We'll all have to wait & see whether Taylor Swift's songs have the longevity of "Rhiannon," "Gold Dust Woman," "Landslide," "Dreams," "Sara," "Gypsy," "Edge of Seventeen," "Stand Back," & "Silver Springs."

What happened to those people who have ALL of these qualities? Great performances, voice, songwriting, emotional connection to people.. Surely, for someone to be really seen as worthy to win that many awards and to be that big of a star, you should be able to tick all the boxes? Not just scrape by when you can't even sing live.Someone earlier mentioned Springsteen & Dylan in a discussion of technically bad singers. But that's seriously disturbed -- rock & roll & popular music aren't symphony hall genres, & the widely different styles of singing are established. But what I heard from Taylor Swift comes nowhere near the effectiveness of Springsteen, or even Dylan. She projected nothing but amateurishness to me. She had no stamp of personal style, irrespective of technical failings.

Still, she's only 20. Maybe she'll develop a style that puts the stamp of attention on her -- later in her 20s, perhaps.

[skcin]

They both sounded nervous and were both off-key. I think one reason why Taylor is getting ripped to shreds is because Rhiannon is a simple song to sing, and if she can't hit those notes, it really showcases the fact she can't sing.

I disagree on all counts (except that TS can't sing - that's apparent.)


P.S. It's VERY hard to harmonize with another singer who's got a pitch problem.....Stevie was doing her best to straighten Taylor up. I personally guarantee that SN is always in tune. In our day, you HAD to be able to (at least) sing in tune. People like songwriters Carol King or Bob Dylan got away with being "charmingly shaky" pitch-wise.....it was part of their persona. The thing is, their records were "charmingly shaky" too....Taylor Swifts recordings, in contrast are autotuned pitch-perfect.....Way too big a difference between live and recorded with Taylor. This creates "cognitive dissonance".....ouch !

Bob Welch
www.bobwelch.com

This is spot on, exactly what I was thinking while I watched it.

Actually, Stevie was not off-key, she was trying to let Taylor lead, but she just couldn't. And Rhiannon is not a simple song to sing, in fact, Stevie herself has said that it is one of her more difficult songs and many other artists don't even go near it.

Agreed. I think Stevie sounded a bit monotone, but any time she tried to adjust the harmony Taylor went off somewhere else with her vocal & Stevie couldn't follow. It was safer for her to stay monotone. :shrug:

[ragandbone]

The Rhiannon duet certainly was hard to listen to. I had never heard TS live, but as I listened to the song that preceded Rhiannon I started to worry, because she was so off. Stevie did a great job of holding her part. and it is too bad that Taylor was never able to find hers, even with that steady support.

I bet they already have her new vocal coach(es) lined up.

[michelej1]

Crave Online wrote:
http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/music/article/beyonce-taylor-swift-dominate-grammys-95611

Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks, a beautiful portrait of idiocy, also joined Taylor Swift to duet on “Rihannon” and “You Belong With Me”. It was an unsuccessful collaboration, with the two having absolutely nothing in common with one another, and no chemistry to speak of. Nevertheless, Swift was beaming throughout the performance.

[The phrase "beautiful portrait of idiocy" was hyperlinked, so I clicked on and got this article about Stevie from April 14, 2009 which was already posted here http://www.ledge.fleetwoodmac.net/showpost.php?p=815248&postcount=1:]

http://www.antiquiet.com/news/editorials/2009/04/stevie-nicks-vs-the-internet/

[RockALittle250]

Crave Online wrote:
http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/music/article/beyonce-taylor-swift-dominate-grammys-95611

Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks, a beautiful portrait of idiocy, also joined Taylor Swift to duet on “Rihannon” and “You Belong With Me”. It was an unsuccessful collaboration, with the two having absolutely nothing in common with one another, and no chemistry to speak of. Nevertheless, Swift was beaming throughout the performance.

[The phrase "beautiful portrait of idiocy" was hyperlinked, so I clicked on and got this article about Stevie from April 14, 2009 which was already posted here http://www.ledge.fleetwoodmac.net/showpost.php?p=815248&postcount=1:]

http://www.antiquiet.com/news/editorials/2009/04/stevie-nicks-vs-the-internet/

Although i agree with the author that Stevie's stubbornness about using the internet to market herself is hurting her, calling her an idiot, only to link back to an article YOU wrote bashing her almost a year ago is a dick move. :mad: what.a.jerk.

[Macfanforever]

Here's a pic I saw online from back stage last night. I think Stevie looks great here. Who's she holding hands with?

8637

Me, Hahaha,I wish,Ok I know critics have a right to have a opinion,but some go off the handle on a artist,I just ignore them,

[SortaSavageLike]

Hey guys, I wrote a song!

Taylor sings like a cat in a bag
And then the cat is strangled
Kills Rhiannon on live TV
while Stevie stands beside her

All my life I've never seen
A duet so wretchedly performed
Would you stay if it went on longer
I'd rather listen to That Made Me Stronger

She sounds like a baby crying
Ouch, my ears are dying
She has four Grammies
Instead of one great big Razzie

All my life I've never seen
A duet so wretchedly performed
Would you stay if it went on longer
I'd rather listen to That Made Me Stronger

Taylor...Taylor...Taylor...

She sings like a cat in heat
Can't that bitch follow the beat?
She rules the night in her sparkly dress
Can't you see she's an awful mess?

All my life I've never seen
A duet so wretchedly performed
Would you stay if it went on longer?
How did she win? How did she win?

Taylor...Taylor...Taylor...

Autotune, Autotune my child
Autotune, Autotune my child
Autotune, Autotune my child

Harmonies unbind
Pitch is just a state of mind

[David]

Hahaha!! I love your song!! :laugh:

[Amlyn]

All my life I've never seen
A duet so wretchedly performed
Would you stay if it went on longer
I'd rather listen to That Made Me Stronger


:]:]:]:]:]

[sodascouts]

I'd rather listen to That Made Me Stronger

Now THAT'S harsh!

[thatgirlwasme]

I'm sick of hearing comments like this. People are defending her saying that "oh but she's a good songwriter and writes her own material" or like above "she's not technically good but she's emotional and connects with people".. Well then stick to songwriting and lay off the singing!
What happened to those people who have ALL of these qualities? Great performances, voice, songwriting, emotional connection to people.. Surely, for someone to be really seen as worthy to win that many awards and to be that big of a star, you should be able to tick all the boxes? Not just scrape by when you can't even sing live.

I agree with you. When I think of artists who are truly stars (and many under-appreciated artists, for that matter) they do have all of these qualities. The unfortunate thing that was revealed about Taylor Swift's potential stardom as a result of the Grammy performance is that she is not the total package, and not star material in my opinion. I was truly shocked by her performance considering all of the praise she has received over the last year. I have no doubt that she has some of the qualities of a good musician--perhaps songwriting--but she just doesn't have what it takes to go down in the history books as a star.

I'm curious about current performers just making a name for themselves who you think are truly stars and have the staying power of someone like Stevie.

A

[Jondalar]

More Taylor Backlash—this article just appeared on the Huffington Post

Can Taylor Swift Sing?
What's Your Reaction:

The Taylor Swift/Stevie Nicks duet performance during the Grammy Awards was very painful. Stevie looked like she wanted to run off stage and Taylor, full of energy, appeared oblivious to the fact that she was singing completely off key.

I believe Taylor can sing. I really do. But it was not evident at the Grammys. About four years ago, before her debut single "Tim McGraw" was released, I heard Taylor Swift sing acoustic with her guitar in the basement of her Nashville record label in front of about 10 people. She was amazing. Only 16-years-old at the time, I remember thinking I'd just seen the next Faith Hill. Not only did she have 'it' - that rare indefinable star quality- she was real and sweet and unaffected. She even sent me a note, signed with a drawn smiley face and a heart, thanking me for listening to her sing. In that room, I recall her pitch being perfect and her voice pure.

Her success and album of the year Grammy win for her sophomore album "Fearless" are 100% deserved. She's a role model to hundreds of thousands of young girls, who thanks to Swift's songs, understand that they don't have to be skanky sex kittens to be cool. She writes good solid melodies and her lyrics tell stories.

But what happened to her voice? What happened on the Grammy stage?

I guess the better question is, what makes a star? I think everyone knows that Madonna is not the best singer (though thankfully, she's usually in key). Lady Gaga has both - she can sing her butt off and her performances - a mix of insanity and avant-guarde art - are nothing short of brilliant. But Taylor? She's every girl. She's happy to be invited to the party. She's happy that people like her and that her fans relate to her.

Stars can come in every shape and size. Music industry journalists and observers like to cast stones as quickly as they can. Even Lady Gaga - who truly is the perfect definition of a star - has been plagued with absurd rumors and put-downs (my favorite being those who claimed she had a penis).

Taylor has brought country music to a national pop stage like no other artist ever has - not Faith Hill, Garth Brooks or Shania Twain.

Let's hope her next live TV performance, if she ever does one again, is in tune.

[DashingDan]

1.) Get Stevie Nicks out in the public quickly and capitalize on the quickly waning post-grammy award performance blog chatter (there's a LOT of stevie support out there along the lines of "poor stevie, she tried but couldn't save T. Swift").

2.) Put out the Katrina song on iTunes immediately--even if doing so is in complete defiance of your client's wishes, she'll thank you later. All proceeds from the single's sales should go to local New Orleans charities and her i-Pod for soldiers 'thing' she does.

3.) Get her on The View.

[dnightshade]

Come on, give the kid a break. She was nervous. It was a big event, there was alot of expectation and pressure. Stevie is used to dealing with alot of different singers of varied talents and strengths. Not all performances are stellar. But it's not to say they're not enjoyable and fun. Sometimes part of the thrill is being paired with someone who might not be an ideal musical match and casting the stones out and seeing where they fall. Taylor is young and still has a plenty of time to fine tune her instrument. Who knows, maybe they'll be another duet sometime down the road and we can all see the progress.

[Sleepless-Child]

Taylor sings like a cat in a bag
And then the cat is strangled
Kills Rhiannon on live TV
while Stevie stands beside her

All my life I've never seen
A duet so wretchedly performed
Would you stay if it went on longer
I'd rather listen to That Made Me Stronger

She sounds like a baby crying
Ouch, my ears are dying
She has four Grammies
Instead of one great big Razzie

All my life I've never seen
A duet so wretchedly performed
Would you stay if it went on longer
I'd rather listen to That Made Me Stronger

Taylor...Taylor...Taylor...

She sings like a cat in heat
Can't that bitch follow the beat?
She rules the night in her sparkly dress
Can't you see she's an awful mess?

All my life I've never seen
A duet so wretchedly performed
Would you stay if it went on longer?
How did she win? How did she win?

Taylor...Taylor...Taylor...

Autotune, Autotune my child
Autotune, Autotune my child
Autotune, Autotune my child

Harmonies unbind
Pitch is just a state of mind


This is hysterical :laugh::lol: love it ! It sums up everything I was thinking about when I watched the "performance" :D.

[flickersticked]

I am loving all the great press Butch Walker is getting:

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/butch-walker-remakes-taylor-swifts-you-belong-with-me-235224

Butch Walker is the man.

[Livia]

1.) Get Stevie Nicks out in the public quickly and capitalize on the quickly waning post-grammy award performance blog chatter (there's a LOT of stevie support out there along the lines of "poor stevie, she tried but couldn't save T. Swift").

2.) Put out the Katrina song on iTunes immediately--even if doing so is in complete defiance of your client's wishes, she'll thank you later. All proceeds from the single's sales should go to local New Orleans charities and her i-Pod for soldiers 'thing' she does.

3.) Get her on The View.

4. Get Butch Walker to produce her next solo album.

[Livia]

Butch Walker is the man.

:D His new album started streaming on the internet today. But I'm waiting impatiently to have my first listen on the big living room stereo speakers.

[David]

:D His new album started streaming on the internet today. But I'm waiting impatiently to have my first listen on the big living room stereo speakers.
I had to look this guy up on the Internet. I didn't know who he is!

[Livia]

Most people don't. But most good music these days isn't mainstream. He really is fabulous, and puts on a great live show. I mentioned earlier in this thread I'd seen him 5 times last year.

ETA: LOL!

@butchwalker you rocked it last night!! i can't believe you were up there with stevie nicks- whaaaa??? hooray!!

Butch's reply:

@AFineFrenzy i know... she had me all giddy.. i kept thinking, "is it me or is she giving me the Cougar Wag?" IJ (inside joke)....

What exactly is the "Cougar Wag?" I can only imagine...

ETA one more thing:

This thread has had over 23,000 hits. Hmmm. Wonder where all these journalists and bloggers are finding the opinions of Stevie's fans? :cool:

[vivfox]

@AFineFrenzy i know... she had me all giddy.. i kept thinking, "is it me or is she giving me the Cougar Wag?" IJ (inside joke)....

What exactly is the "Cougar Wag?" I can only imagine...



A Cougar is a woman, over the age of 40, who dates men that are usually 20 or so years younger than themselves.

[GypsyBlueEyes]

Butch Walker is the man.

I'm going to go back and try to watch the video again and really pay attention to him. Its hard, though, because the few times I've been able to stomach watching it, I'm so horrified and watching Stevie to try and read her facial expressions that he just gets lost in the midst of it all.

EDIT:

So, are Taylor Swift's fans delusional or something??

Watching prerecorded Grammy's. Stevie Nicks ruined T-Swift's preformance. She needs to stick to witchery...

And what does she mean by prerecorded???

[Livia]

A Cougar is a woman, over the age of 40, who dates men that are usually 20 or so years younger than themselves.

Being a 40+ woman, I'm very familiar w/ the term "cougar." LOL I'm questioning the inside joke reference of a cougar "wag." I'm assuming it's flirting, but I want to hear the actual explanation.

Brook (or anyone else interested in Butch) - you should just go to his youtube channel. For Tom Petty fans, I highly recommend starting w/ "The Weight of Her" - great song and cute video, w/ Taryn Manning.

http://www.youtube.com/user/butchwalker&rclk=cti#p/u/15/cGsZC3Drkfs

[Macfanforever]

I just rewatch the footage over, and watch Stevie's face,when Taylor did the solo of Rhiannon,Stevie kept her self together with a professional mode until the end of Rhiannon ,at the end she let out a BIG grin cheek to cheek.Waddy kept a strait face while picking away.

[ragrsrocalot]

I have only watched this a total of two times. Can't really bring myself to watch anymore than that. At least not so soon anyway.

[strandinthewind]

Poor Taylor Swift - If you are going to go on the stage in that arena, you should at least rehearse it a few more times, which it seems she required.

Stevie looked and sounded good.

Butch Walker is fab. I had lots of drinks with him, his dog, and (I think) his wife at the Four Seasons in Atlanta a few years ago. For those who do not know his work - check it out.

Finally, I just cannot seem to shake the inability to log into The Ledge. So, I do not post very often anymore. If anyone wants to reach me, please email me at [email protected]

[michelej1]

[Here's more from that interview with Borchetta] 2-3-2010, by Jeffrey Hyatt
Beat Crave http://beatcrave.com/2010-02-03/taylor-swifts-label-boss-returns-fire-against-critics/

One of the big storylines coming out of Sunday night’s 52nd Grammy Awards was Taylor Swift’s underwhelming duet with Stevie Nicks on Swift’s “Today Was a Fairytale” and “You Belong with Me” sandwiching the Fleetwood Mac hit, “Rhiannon.” The wave of criticism following Swift’s mediocre performance quickly morphed into an intense backlash against the singer; her winning Album of the Year definitely irked plenty of music fans.

All this negativity directed at the young singer has Scott Borchetta, the head of Swift’s record label, really pissed off. Check below to read his rather intense comments regarding the Grammy incident and subsequent backlash, courtesy of the Tennessean.


“The biggest message is (the critics) are not getting it,” Borchetta said. “Because the facts say she is the undisputed best communicator that we’ve got. When she says something, when she sings something, when she feels something, it affects more people than anybody else.”

Borchetta says Swift might not be the best technical singer, but adds, “she’s probably the best emotional singer because everybody else who gets up there and is technically perfect, people don’t seem to want more of it.”

That’s debatable. People love to see their favorite artists go off script, if you will, during a performance, but even when they’re at their emotional best, the music still needs to sound good. Right?

“Everybody is not perfect on any given day. If you pick any of those artists that performed (on the Grammy Awards) I’m sure you can go online and find something where you go, ‘ew.’ Maybe in that moment we didn’t have the best night. But in the same breath, maybe we did. And nobody is arguing with the awards.”

Interestingly, the issue of whether or not Swift had an off night Sunday (she did) has been quickly replaced by a much broader debate over the singer’s talent and too-fast-a-jump to stardom. Obviously not everyone is going to like Swift regardless if she sounds great or awful, but Sunday’s shoddy performance – contrasted with her four, big Grammy wins – opened the door nice and wide for critics to pounce.

Borchetta thinks those critics just don’t get it.

“This is what always happens and is the unfortunate part of the American dream, that we build these people up to watch the critics tear them down. Well, you better have more than what you’ve got now if you think you’re going to get in the ring and fight with us. So, get in the ring.”

That sounds like the gauntlet being thrown down. Either this incident is forgotten by the weekend, or critics (that would be professionals and music fans with a Blog to populate) continue to stir up the Taylor Swift backlash.

[CADreaming]

Label Chief Defends Swift's Grammy Performance (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100204/ap_en_ot/us_people_taylor_swift)

By CAITLIN R. KING, Associated Press Writer – 41 mins ago
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The head of Taylor Swift's record label is fired up and ready to defend his superstar from people who are criticizing her Grammy-night performance.
"She is the voice of this generation. She speaks directly to (her fans), and they speak directly back to her," said Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta in a phone interview. "This is not `American Idol.' This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It's not about that technically perfect performance."
Borchetta first responded to the backlash in The Tennessean. Asked by The Associated Press why he felt the need to defend Swift, he said because the criticism was "just over the top."
"It's that classic thing that critics do of building something up and then wanting to tear it down," he said.
Swift rehearsed her performance and duet with Stevie Nicks two different times at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in front of a crowd of people. Critics were nicer then. Entertainment Weekly wrote of the rehearsal, "The two women's voices complimented each other nicely on the harmonies of `Rhiannon ...'"
But on Sunday night's Grammy show, Borchetta said Swift had a technical issue that made her worry about her performance. (Attempts to reach The Recording Academy for comment went unanswered.)
"We had a volume problem in the ear. So, she was concerned that she wasn't able to hear everything in the mix," Borchetta said. "That's just part of live TV. ... So you're going to have difficulties on occasion. Unfortunately, on one of the biggest stages, we did have a technical issue. She couldn't hear herself like she had in rehearsal."
As quickly as you could say "Fearless," bloggers and media outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, pounced on Swift's performance. The chatter at times overshadowed the four Grammys she won — including album of the year.
Borchetta said he doesn't need critics to give the 20-year-old the benefit of the doubt: "What we have is so much bigger than that. Am I going to ask them to turn their heads, no, I don't need them to."
It's doubtful her fans will abandon Swift anytime soon, judging by the congratulations and positive comments on her Facebook and MySpace pages, or that those with tickets to the second leg of her sold-out "Fearless" tour will throw them away because she had a bad night.
And with that, Borchetta has a message to all of her critics.
"If you haven't seen her live performance, you're welcome to come out as my guest to a Taylor Swift show and experience the whole thing, because it's amazing. You can see her in her element. There's a reason tickets are selling like they are."
Swift's "Fearless" album has sold over 5 million copies and was last year's top-selling album. She is the youngest artist to ever win the Grammys' top prize of album of the year. She will resume the "Fearless" tour March 4 in Tampa, Florida.

[Jondalar]

Label Chief Defends Swift's Grammy Performance (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100204/ap_en_ot/us_people_taylor_swift)

By CAITLIN R. KING, Associated Press Writer – 41 mins ago
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The head of Taylor Swift's record label is fired up and ready to defend his superstar from people who are criticizing her Grammy-night performance.
"She is the voice of this generation. She speaks directly to (her fans), and they speak directly back to her," said Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta in a phone interview. "This is not `American Idol.' This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It's not about that technically perfect performance."
Borchetta first responded to the backlash in The Tennessean. Asked by The Associated Press why he felt the need to defend Swift, he said because the criticism was "just over the top."
"It's that classic thing that critics do of building something up and then wanting to tear it down," he said.
Swift rehearsed her performance and duet with Stevie Nicks two different times at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in front of a crowd of people. Critics were nicer then. Entertainment Weekly wrote of the rehearsal, "The two women's voices complimented each other nicely on the harmonies of `Rhiannon ...'"
But on Sunday night's Grammy show, Borchetta said Swift had a technical issue that made her worry about her performance. (Attempts to reach The Recording Academy for comment went unanswered.)
"We had a volume problem in the ear. So, she was concerned that she wasn't able to hear everything in the mix," Borchetta said. "That's just part of live TV. ... So you're going to have difficulties on occasion. Unfortunately, on one of the biggest stages, we did have a technical issue. She couldn't hear herself like she had in rehearsal."
As quickly as you could say "Fearless," bloggers and media outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, pounced on Swift's performance. The chatter at times overshadowed the four Grammys she won — including album of the year.
Borchetta said he doesn't need critics to give the 20-year-old the benefit of the doubt: "What we have is so much bigger than that. Am I going to ask them to turn their heads, no, I don't need them to."
It's doubtful her fans will abandon Swift anytime soon, judging by the congratulations and positive comments on her Facebook and MySpace pages, or that those with tickets to the second leg of her sold-out "Fearless" tour will throw them away because she had a bad night.
And with that, Borchetta has a message to all of her critics.
"If you haven't seen her live performance, you're welcome to come out as my guest to a Taylor Swift show and experience the whole thing, because it's amazing. You can see her in her element. There's a reason tickets are selling like they are."
Swift's "Fearless" album has sold over 5 million copies and was last year's top-selling album. She is the youngest artist to ever win the Grammys' top prize of album of the year. She will resume the "Fearless" tour March 4 in Tampa, Florida.

I'm glad he is fighting back. They are trying to turn her into Ashley Simpson.

[David]

"It's that classic thing that critics do of building something up and then wanting to tear it down," he said.As opposed to that classic thing that record execs do of building something up & then yanking the contract.

And with that, Borchetta has a message to all of her critics.
"If you haven't seen her live performance, you're welcome to come out as my guest to a Taylor Swift show and experience the whole thing, because it's amazing. So he's going to buy my ticket?

What a gimcrack.

[Jondalar]

Label Chief Defends Swift's Grammy Performance (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100204/ap_en_ot/us_people_taylor_swift)

By CAITLIN R. KING, Associated Press Writer – 41 mins ago
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The head of Taylor Swift's record label is fired up and ready to defend his superstar from people who are criticizing her Grammy-night performance.
"She is the voice of this generation. She speaks directly to (her fans), and they speak directly back to her," said Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta in a phone interview. "This is not `American Idol.' This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It's not about that technically perfect performance."
Borchetta first responded to the backlash in The Tennessean. Asked by The Associated Press why he felt the need to defend Swift, he said because the criticism was "just over the top."
"It's that classic thing that critics do of building something up and then wanting to tear it down," he said.
Swift rehearsed her performance and duet with Stevie Nicks two different times at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in front of a crowd of people. Critics were nicer then. Entertainment Weekly wrote of the rehearsal, "The two women's voices complimented each other nicely on the harmonies of `Rhiannon ...'"
But on Sunday night's Grammy show, Borchetta said Swift had a technical issue that made her worry about her performance. (Attempts to reach The Recording Academy for comment went unanswered.)
"We had a volume problem in the ear. So, she was concerned that she wasn't able to hear everything in the mix," Borchetta said. "That's just part of live TV. ... So you're going to have difficulties on occasion. Unfortunately, on one of the biggest stages, we did have a technical issue. She couldn't hear herself like she had in rehearsal."
As quickly as you could say "Fearless," bloggers and media outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, pounced on Swift's performance. The chatter at times overshadowed the four Grammys she won — including album of the year.
Borchetta said he doesn't need critics to give the 20-year-old the benefit of the doubt: "What we have is so much bigger than that. Am I going to ask them to turn their heads, no, I don't need them to."
It's doubtful her fans will abandon Swift anytime soon, judging by the congratulations and positive comments on her Facebook and MySpace pages, or that those with tickets to the second leg of her sold-out "Fearless" tour will throw them away because she had a bad night.
And with that, Borchetta has a message to all of her critics.
"If you haven't seen her live performance, you're welcome to come out as my guest to a Taylor Swift show and experience the whole thing, because it's amazing. You can see her in her element. There's a reason tickets are selling like they are."
Swift's "Fearless" album has sold over 5 million copies and was last year's top-selling album. She is the youngest artist to ever win the Grammys' top prize of album of the year. She will resume the "Fearless" tour March 4 in Tampa, Florida.

This Kelly Clarkson's reponse:

And this was Kelly Clarkson's response to said press release from Taylor's label: ''Scott​ Borchetta​ random​ thoughts​ by​ me' Wo​w …..Dear​ Scott​ Borchetta, ​I​ understand​ defending​ your​ artist​ obviously​ because​ I​ have​ done​ the​ same​ in​ the​ past​ for​ artists​ I​ like,​ including​ Taylor,​ so​ you​ might​ see​ why​ its​ upsetting​ to​ read​ you​ attacking​ American​ Idol​ for​ producing​ simply​ vocalists​ that​ hit​ ‘the​ high​ notes’.​ Thank​ you​ for​ that​ ‘Captain​ Obvious’​ sense​ of​ humor​ because​ you​ know​ what,​ we​ not​ only​ hit​ the​ high​ notes,​ you​ forgot​ to​ mention​ we​ generally​ hit​ the​ ‘right’​ notes​ as​ well.​ Every​ artist​ has​ a​ bad​ performance​ or​ two​ and​ that​ is​ understandable,​ but​ throwing​ blame​ will​ not​ make​ the​ situation​ at​ hand​ any​ better.​ I​ have​ been​ criticized​ left​ and​ right​ for​ having​ shaky​ performances​ before​ (and​ they​ were​ shaky)​ and​ what​ my​ manager​ or​ label​ executives​ say​ to​ me​ and​ the​ public​ is​ “I’ll​ kick​ butt​ next​ time”​ or​ “every​ performance​ isn’t​ going​ to​ be​ perfect”​ ……I​ bring​ this​ up​ because​ you​ should​ take​ a​ lesson​ from​ these​ people​ and​ instead​ of​ lashing​ out​ at​ other​ artists​ (that​ in​ your​ ‘humble’​ opinion​ lack​ true​ artistry),​ you​ should​ simply​ take​ a​ breath​ and​ realize​ that​ sometimes​ things​ won’t​ go​ according​ to​ plan​ or​ work​ out​ and​ that’s​ okay. Sincerely, ​One​ of​ those​ contestants​ from​ American​ Idol​ who​ only​ made​ it​ because​ of​ her​ high​ notes​" Scott​ Borchetta should be careful of who he throws under the bus and picks a fight with. He is just going to make the situation worse, best just let this all die down and focus on her tour.

[michelej1]

USA Today:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/02/taylor-swifts-label-chief-defends-grammy-performance/1

Borchetta said Swift had a technical issue Sunday night. "We had a volume problem in the ear. So, she was concerned that she wasn't able to hear everything in the mix," Borchetta said. "That's just part of live TV. ... You're going to have difficulties on occasion.

"Technical issue" reminds me of "wardrobe malfunction." I've looked at other live clips of Taylor since Sunday night and I think she must have a "technical issue" every single time she performs! It's a lie. She's a sweet, popular girl who has talent, even if singing is not her strong point. Her fans still love her. There's no need for her management to defend her in ways that I think are more insulting than helpful.

I'm amused though because we know how our own girl is constantly fiddling with her ear piece and pocket monitor. She could have had a nervous breakdown over "a volume problem in the ear."

Michele

[GypsyBlueEyes]

This story just isn't going away. I can't believe that the head of the label has resorted to coming out and defending her. It doesn't matter what he says in interviews, he knows that her performance was awful. This is damage control.

One thing I've been wondering is, since this has gotten so much negative attention, if any pressure has been put on Stevie to publicly defend Taylor? And if there has been pressure, if she would actually do it?

I think my favorite of all the things he has said:

the facts say she is the undisputed best communicator that we've got. When she says something, when she sings something, when she feels something, it affects more people than anybody else

She may very well be the undisputed best communicator to twelve year old girls...but thats about it :rolleyes:

[APerfectLie]

One thing I've been wondering is, since this has gotten so much negative attention, if any pressure has been put on Stevie to publicly defend Taylor? And if there has been pressure, if she would actually do it?


That's interesting to think about, because part of me says you know they have! And I would really love to hear Stevie say something like "I had no clue she was going to be so awful! If I would have known that I would have never let her touch Rhiannon or any of my other songs!!" But if she was to say something, it would probably be in Taylor's defense. But I think it would be wrong of Stevie to, because many of those who are dissing Taylor are praising Stevie and by publicly taking her side she would be telling many of her own admirers that they were wrong, and by lambasting Taylor's performance, she is going to come off as a bitter old lady who trash talks people who look at her as a hero. and so I think she will stay quiet unless asked about it in an interview a few months, or years down the road. And even then I am sure her response will be along the lines of, "Taylor is a very sweet girl and she is an amazing writer which is very rare in the music business these days. And many people may not have been happy with her performance that night, but I know that there were many times people weren't happy with some of my performances. So I wish Taylor the best and I wish her all her dreams and shes already got an amazing career and I think it is just going to continue to prosper!!"

[GypsyBlueEyes]

That's interesting to think about, because part of me says you know they have! And I would really love to hear Stevie say something like "I had no clue she was going to be so awful! If I would have known that I would have never let her touch Rhiannon or any of my other songs!!" But if she was to say something, it would probably be in Taylor's defense. But I think it would be wrong of Stevie to, because many of those who are dissing Taylor are praising Stevie and by publicly taking her side she would be telling many of her own admirers that they were wrong, and by lambasting Taylor's performance, she is going to come off as a bitter old lady who trash talks people who look at her as a hero. and so I think she will stay quiet unless asked about it in an interview a few months, or years down the road. And even then I am sure her response will be along the lines of, "Taylor is a very sweet girl and she is an amazing writer which is very rare in the music business these days. And many people may not have been happy with her performance that night, but I know that there were many times people weren't happy with some of my performances. So I wish Taylor the best and I wish her all her dreams and shes already got an amazing career and I think it is just going to continue to prosper!!"

I totally agree. I definitely think that there has to have been pressure for her to do so though. Specifically, they might want her to confirm (read: lie) and say there were volume problems and that the rehearsals had gone well, etc. I'm still dying to know what she really thinks (but we'll never know the truth cause she's never going to say :( )

That was a very Stevie-esqe answer, btw :nod:

[GypsyBlueEyes]

Sorrrrry for the double post :)

Taylor was #10 on The Daily Ten. Nothing new, just stuff we've already heard about her label defending her. Then Sal (the presenter) said we should all get over ourselves :rolleyes:

[APerfectLie]

I totally agree. I definitely think that there has to have been pressure for her to do so though. Specifically, they might want her to confirm (read: lie) and say there were volume problems and that the rehearsals had gone well, etc. I'm still dying to know what she really thinks (but we'll never know the truth cause she's never going to say :( )

That was a very Stevie-esqe answer, btw :nod:

Lmao lie is exactly what they want her to do! And they had some of the footage of the rehearsals, so they should prove to us that those went well by releasing that. And I'm dying to know what she thinks to! And what possessed her to do it in the first place. And thanks! I tried hard on that Stevie answer lmao

[vivfox]

Grammys boost sales

As a promotional showcase, the Grammy Awards remain a force. Early results from Nielsen SoundScan show that artists who performed on the CBS telecast Sunday night are experiencing a relatively major sales boost.

The Black Eyed Peas, for example, are on track for a stellar week with the Interscope set "The E.N.D.": Over four days last week (Monday through Thursday), the album sold 18,000 copies. In just two days this week (Tuesday and Wednesday), the set scanned 26,000 copies.

Taylor Swift's Big Machine effort "Fearless" is also up in the same period, tallying 16,000 this week versus 13,000 for the four-day span last week.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-quick5-2010feb05,0,1876539.story

[Livia]

Taylor Suffers “Swift-lash”

http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/02/04/708402.aspx?source=email

Holy harmony! The negative reaction to Taylor Swift’s less-than-perfect performance with rock legend Stevie Nicks during Sunday night’s Grammy Awards ceremony is quickly getting ugly, with the chief of the singer’s label and other artists like Kelly Clarkson and Drake wading into the fray.

Much of the fuss seems to be (and should be) over the fact that Swift’s rendition of the Fleetwood Mac classic “Rihannon” was teeth-grindingly off-key. The performance was widely panned everywhere from the Los Angeles Times to The Washington Post. (Even I wasn’t immune from offering criticism of the duet. Although I was taken to task by several readers for being too kind.)

But it was The New York Times’ Jon Caramanica who I believe hit the nail on the head when it comes to the main reason behind the sudden and furious “Swift-lash” emerging online and elsewhere.

“Most stars – and make no mistake, Ms. Swift is the most important new pop star of the past few years – have their images undone by failure,” Caramanica wrote on Monday morning. “In Ms. Swift’s case, the opposite is true: success has necessitated a re-evaluation.

“Her Sunday night at the Grammys will be remembered as the turning point. She won four awards, including album of the year for Fearless (Big Machine), her outstanding second record – the youngest artist ever to do so, and the first solo female country singer to earn that as well. It was the ultimate stamp of approval for someone who insists that she’s thrilled just to be invited to the party.”

Of course, Caramanica also admits “it’s refreshing to see someone so gifted make the occasional flub,” and in doing so, cops to something that’s probably motivating much of the gleeful criticism of Swift that’s been circulating on the Internet – schadenfreude, that little black part of all our souls that takes perverse pleasure in witnessing the suffering of others.

Schadenfreude (plus a generous portion of plain old jealously) certainly explains why a lot of people commenting about the singer on sites scattered across the Web have seized the opportunity to question her success in general.

On Tuesday, MTV.com posted a piece by writer James Montgomery marveling at the venom being spewed at Swift and asking rabid readers to take a deep breath and reconsider how fair they were being.

In the article, Entertainment Weekly’s music critic Leah Greenblatt gave Montgomery her take on the situation, which echoes Carmanica’s while revealing a couple other motivations behind the public’s spite.

“As the awards began to pile up, [Swift] went from the underdog to the over-dog,” Greenblatt told Montgomery. “She became just another celebrity. And the cycle of celebrity, it will always come back to a takedown. Some people are mad because she seems too perfect. Some people are mad at her for dumping Jacob from ‘New Moon.’ And a lot of people are mad because she wiffed so hard with Stevie Nicks at the Grammys.

“We got tons of comments from people, and a lot of them were really nasty. The cry of ‘She writes her own songs’ was overtaken by ‘But she sings them badly.’ We’re used to divas – Mary J nailing it, Gaga doing versions of her songs to pound it in that she can really sing. And the thought after the Grammys seemed to be, ‘If Pink can spin in a hammock, soaking wet, wearing a ribbon, and hit notes, why couldn’t Taylor do it standing behind a microphone?’”

The reaction to the MTV.com post in Swift’s defense was stunning. So much so that the site posted a dozen of the best comments the next day – from people defending the hate as well as defending the singer.

Perhaps the most surprising development in this story is the reaction from the head of Swift’s record label, Big Machine Records.

In a move practically unheard of in the recording industry, Scott Borchetta angrily responded to attacks on the singer, beginning with a statement issued to The Tennessean, and pretty much threw down the gauntlet for further attacks.

“The biggest message is [the critics] are not getting it,” Borchetta said. “Because the facts say she is the undisputed best communicator that we’ve got. When she says something, when she sings something, when she feels something, it affects more people than anybody else.

“Maybe she’s not the best technical singer, but she’s probably the best emotional singer because everybody else who gets up there and is technically perfect, people don’t seem to want more of it … I think [the critics] are missing the whole voice of a generation that is happening right in front of them … She’s an extraordinary songwriter and her vocal performances are getting better. Everybody is not perfect on any given day. If you pick any of those artists that performed [on the Grammy Awards], I’m sure you can go online and find something where you go, ‘ew.’ Maybe in that moment we didn’t have the best night. But in the same breath, maybe we did. And nobody is arguing with the awards.

“The critics are missing the bigger picture. This is what always happens and is the unfortunate part of the American dream, that we build these people up to watch the critics tear them down. Well, you better have more than what you’ve got now if you think you’re going to get in the ring and fight with us. So, get in the ring.”

While Borchetta makes some good points – the best being that every singer on the planet has tanked a performance at one time or another – his assertion that Swift is “the whole voice of a generation” is a bit much.

Certainly her record sales are a testament to how much she touches people, but the same argument can be made for Lil’ Wayne, Lady Gaga, or even Susan Boyle. And it’s a safe bet nobody would venture to call any of them “voice of a generation.”

So that’s strike one against Borchetta’s case, but then he went even further out on a limb in a follow up interview with the Associated Press (which drew some fire of its own – but we’ll get to that in a moment).

“She is the voice of this generation,” Borchetta reasserted. “She speaks directly to [her fans], and they speak directly back to her. This is not ‘American Idol.’ This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and communicator. It’s not about that technically perfect performance.”

Uh-oh. It’s one thing to defend your artist against critics and rabid commenters hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet, but it’s entirely another to attack other artists to make your case.

You didn’t really think that Borchetta essentially claiming that everyone who ever walked onto the stage of “American Idol” was not “a true artist and communicator” was going to go unnoticed did you? Of course not.

Enter “Idol” alum Kelly Clarkson, who quickly took to her blog to offer the label exec a piece of her mind.

“I understand you defending your artist obviously because I have done the same in the past for artists I like, including Taylor, so you might see why its upsetting to read you attacking American Idol for producing simply vocalists that hit ‘the high notes’ … We not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the ‘right’ notes as well. Every artist has a bad performance or two and that is understandable, but throwing blame will not make the situation at hand any better … You should take a lesson from [my manager and label executives] and instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your ‘humble’ opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won’t go according to plan or work out and that’s okay.”

Clarkson signed her message, “One of those contestants from American Idol who only made it because of her high notes.”

Ouch.

So what does all of this mean? It seems to me that what happened to Swift’s duet with Nicks is that the song was performed in a key that wasn’t comfortable for either singer. I’m assuming that’s because it needed to be in a different key than the original to allow Nicks to sing harmony without having to scrape the bottom of her range.

The bottom line here though is that nobody’s perfect. Yes, the Grammy performance of “Rihannon” wasn’t good. Yes, we’ve been heading into Taylor Swift overkill territory for some time now. A negative reaction was inevitable. As Mel Brooks, who’s had his share of hits as well as misses over the years, once said to me in an interview after his Broadway version of “The Producers” became a smash, “There’s gonna be a backlash.”

So I have a message for Taylor Swift. Hang in there kid. Holding on to that place in the spotlight can be tricky, but this too shall pass. It’ll be somebody else’s turn pretty soon.

[badanimals87]

So what does all of this mean? It seems to me that what happened to Swift’s duet with Nicks is that the song was performed in a key that wasn’t comfortable for either singer. I’m assuming that’s because it needed to be in a different key than the original to allow Nicks to sing harmony without having to scrape the bottom of her range.

So if I'm following this writer correctly...if Rhiannon had been performed in the original key (which is higher) then Taylor would have been able to hit the notes no problem?

[Remy]

Wow... this is getting out of hand. I thought it was going to blow over quicker. Slow news week, I guess.
It always seems to me, as long as non-criminal faults are concerned, it's best for the manager/bigwig rep to STAY MUM. By speaking out, he confirms the caliber of the case.

[michelej1]

It's funny when you look at the very first posts in this thread and Hejira NYC was saying that at least we didn't have to worry about Stevie getting blown out of the water by a more talented vocalist. Truer words were never . . . :laugh:

Michele

[Livia]

I keep thinking about what Keith Olsen said on Behind the Music, or the Making of Rumours - one of those things. Anyway, he was complimenting Stevie on what a great harmony singer she is and that "she can wrap her voice around anyone's."

[GypsyBlueEyes]

So if I'm following this writer correctly...if Rhiannon had been performed in the original key (which is higher) then Taylor would have been able to hit the notes no problem?

There is no way she could hit the notes in Rhiannon sung the way Stevie usually sings it. Listen to the way she sings her own songs. I don't know anything about notes, but it seems to me that she sings all of her songs on a very small scale and there is very little variation (see, I told you I don't know the technical terms for all this stuff :p ). If they had done it the Stevie way, Stevie would have overpowered Taylor's vocal...not that I would have complained about that.

LMAO! This is getting so ridiculous. People need to stop making excuses for her. She sucked. It was an awful performance. This backlash is happening because she was marketed as a "real deal" singer/songwriter/musician. The golden child of the music industry. In an environment where there is so much production/autotuning in the studio to make the artists sound the way they do, Taylor's image has always been that she didn't need all that extra behind the scenes stuff to make her sound good. Well, she got on television in front of millions of people and showed them that it was all smoke and mirrors.

[ButterCookie]

She sucked. It was an awful performance.

Hear hear! :xoxo:

[Livia]

Taylor Swift isn't even old enough to drink legally, and yet the country-pop crossover picked up four Grammys, including Best Album of the Year. Man, I have done nothing with my life.

But something is off in her performance. Swift doesn't sound her best, especially in comparison to Stevie Nicks, her duet partner. And who made the decision to let Nicks sing a high school love anthem? Really, Stevie — you feel like you're the type of girl who's left sitting on the bleachers? The duet seems more like a p.r. stunt than a true performance. But I really like Nicks' ridiculously ribboned tambourine, so maybe I'll forgive her.

Grade: C

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1957992_1957982_1957971,00.html#ixzz0ehkv6sXx

[michelej1]

Anyway, he was complimenting Stevie on what a great harmony singer she is and that "she can wrap her voice around anyone's."

That's true about Stevie and it's a talent, because even good singers have trouble singing with others sometimes. Christine said that she used to struggle with it before meeting those other 2 guys.

Michele

[carrie721]

So if I'm following this writer correctly...if Rhiannon had been performed in the original key (which is higher) then Taylor would have been able to hit the notes no problem?

no, the writer is saying it was an awkward key for both singers because they had to lower it enough for taylor to hit the high notes but not lower it so much that stevie couldn't hit the low ones.

i don't think for taylor it was an issue of the high notes being out of her range but rather that she just has a weak voice and bad intonation.

There is no way she could hit the notes in Rhiannon sung the way Stevie usually sings it. Listen to the way she sings her own songs. I don't know anything about notes, but it seems to me that she sings all of her songs on a very small scale and there is very little variation (see, I told you I don't know the technical terms for all this stuff :p ). If they had done it the Stevie way, Stevie would have overpowered Taylor's vocal...not that I would have complained about that.

taylor may be auto-tuned within an inch of her life, but her melodies cover a wide interval.

LMAO! This is getting so ridiculous. People need to stop making excuses for her. She sucked. It was an awful performance.

it was an awful performance, but what's funny is that when stevie gives an awful performance, all you hear are excuses.

[Pix]

I haven't logged on here in years, but had to drop in and say GACK! She sounded bad... I didn't much like Stevie taking a back seat to her with that song choice either. I guess no press is bad press..... bah that's bull****. I sat there watching it like a train wreck. You know you should turn away, but can't.

Did anyone else see the look on Waddy's face at the end of it? It looked as if he wanted to smash her over the head with his guitar! LMAO

Hello Ledgies...

[michelej1]

TV Guide.com, February 1, 2010
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Moments-Year-Grammys-1014524.aspx?rss=breakingnews&partnerid=worldnow&profileid=01

By Mickey O'Connor,

Dear Grammys, enough with the kooky pairings! Yes, it worked really well when you united Eminem and Elton John all those years ago. It was a true example of music bringing people together. But this year's many matches felt more like mis-mash-ups. Taylor Swift's duets with Stevie Nicks were embarrassing for both of them, and Lady Gaga's pairing with Elton John — is he now the go-to duet partner? — didn't quite jell. It was telling that the night's best songs came from Drake, Eminem, and Lil Wayne — three artists who brought out the best in each other — and Pink, who performed solo. Welcome to Top Moments, Grammy Mis-Mash-Ups Edition.

10. Best Idea: Lady Gaga opens the show with a typical (ha-ha) performance of her hit "Poker Face" in which a team of dancers adore her almost worshipfully, until she's thrown into a fire. Next we find her sitting across a piano from Elton John. Their mash-up of her "Speechless" and his "Your Song" ("How wonderful life is/With Gaga is in the world!") isn't a flawless showcase for either performer, and sets the tone for a night of unnecessarily complicated combos.

9. Best Patter: "Stay away from Katy Perry," Stephen Colbert warns his daughter from the stage. Otherwise, the Colbert Report wise guy tries to prove his coolness to his daughter by greeting all the boldfaced names in the crowd. He later informs the crowd that Susan Boyle, a "48-year-old Scottish cat lady in sensible shoes," saved the music industry this year. When he wins for Best Comedy Album, he asks his daughter, "Am I cool now?" Yes.

8. Worst Idea: Nothing says punk rock like turning your album into a Broadway musical. Except performing with the performers in that musical, as Green Day unimpressively did with the cast of American Idiot.

Check out all the Grammy Awards red carpet hits and misses

7. Best Stage Presence: Beyonce wears an exoskeleton-like gown accompanied by a SWAT team of backup dancers to sing "If I Were a Boy," a rough-edged version that segues into a cover of Alanis Morissette's man-hating anthem "You Oughta Know." Her defense-themed show is a brilliant offense.

6. Most Tired Trend: Robots are so now! Or so think the Black-Eyed Peas in their performance of hits "Imma Be" and "I Gotta Feeling," which feature robots in metal-man drag. If only their tin-man routine had a heart.

5. Worst Tribute: Taylor Swift stumbles through "Today Was a Fairy Tale" before inviting Stevie Nicks to the stage to butcher/duet on Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon." Just when the 35-plus crowd is ready to storm the stage and stop Swift from destroying their memories, Nicks saves the day by adding a dose of musicality to an ill-advised, slowed-down rendition of Swift's "You Belong with Me." Let the grown-up lead, kiddo.

4. Most Multi-Dimensional Tribute: Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood and Usher team up to sing Michael Jackson's "Earth Song" in a 3-D tribute to the late singer. It's a strong vocal performance, which you don't really need special glasses to appreciate. After the song, Jackson's eldest child, a well-spoken Prince Michael, 12, thanks the crowd for their support following his famous dad's death.



3. Best Surprise: When Robert Downey Jr. introduces an operatic performance of the Royal Gramophonic Society, most of us thought: Bathroom break. But that crafty Jamie Foxx pulls a fast one on us uncultured rubes, as a mezzo soprano starts singing his hit "Blame It" (al-al-al-al-al-alcohol — yeah, that one). The stage explodes in an orgiastic frenzy, as Foxx is joined by Doug E. Fresh, T-Pain and Slash, who turns in a blistering solo ripped from Guns N' Roses' "November Rain."

2. Most Interesting Performance: Where to begin? Pink starts off innocently enough, as she slinks around the stage singing "Glitter in the Air" in a robe that appears to have been stolen from Princess Leia's wardrobe trailer. The robe inevitably comes off to reveal a nearly nude bodysuit, and within seconds Pink is lifted from the stage. Hanging from silks, she's suddenly soaked with water that spills from her body, probably messing up some hairdos in the crowd below. It's worth it.

1. Worst Editing: Drake holds his own singing his hit "Forever" with established rappers Lil Wayne and Eminem. We'd say more about this energetic performance, but we only heard about half percent of it; the censors bleeped the rest. The song isn't that dirty. Someone could have been more judicious with the edits.

[AmbrFireflie]

Check out Stevie at 2:55 admiring a Maxwell and Roberta Flack duet ;)

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[vivfox]

Check out Stevie at 2:55 admiring a Maxwell and Roberta Flack duet ;)

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Great find! I surely enjoyed seeing Stevie listen to Roberta harmonizing with Maxwell.

[LittleCharmer]

I'm rather jealous of ol' Swifty in that sense. She just gets to run around being an excitable ninny amongst legends.

[michelej1]

[If Stevie co-founded FM, why isn't the band called McNicks?]

Daily Titan, Cal State Fullerton
http://www.dailytitan.com/2010/02/nicks-could-teach-swift-a-thing-or-ten-about-performing-live/

Nicks could teach Swift a thing or ten about performing live

By Melissa Hoon
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Published: February 16, 2010

Where’s Kanye when you need him? While West wasn’t in the building the night of the Grammys this year, he should have been, to remind Taylor Swift during her performance with Stevie Nicks that Nicks, co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, is one of the best artists of all time – and perhaps to tell Swift to exit the stage to let Nicks finish solo.

The Nicks/Swift performance was the worst duet I’ve ever seen. Why on earth would Grammy executives think the combination of raw, unique, classic talent and cookie-cutter/what-the-music-industry-prostitutes-to-the-masses-to-bank-on “talent” would sound pleasing?

Oh, I almost forgot. Music and television industries only care about making money. For them, I’m sure this performance was golden. Old talent plus young talent equals older viewers and younger viewers. Add viewers’ age demographics together and you have dollar signs galore.

Whether or not you’re a Swift fan, you can surely agree that the country starlet’s only real talent is songwriting – and even that’s a very generous compliment. Nearly all of her songs are about fitting in in high school and young romance. What will she write about in five years when her high school memories begin to fade?

Wait, that’s right – she’s a country singer. If she’s smart, she’ll take notes from other successful country artists, like Gretchen Wilson (singer of “Redneck Woman”), and will have material for years to come, boasting about her redneck pride and heritage.

Well, I guess she can only write about her redneck pride, not heritage, since she was born and raised in Pennsylvania. That’s just more ammo for my argument as to how Swift is yet another byproduct of what the music industry has created out of thin air.

On the other hand, whether or not you’re part of Swift’s fan club, there’s no denying how incredible it was for her to have had the opportunity to share a stage with the legendary Nicks, especially at 20 years old. I’m sure Swift’s six minutes on stage couldn’t have been better spent in heaven.

And the two didn’t just share the stage, they shared each other’s songs. Swift began the performance solo, singing “Today Was a Fairytale” (a Swift song about a magical relationship – shocking!). Then Nicks, 61, took the stage as the beginning notes of “Rhiannon” were played.

“It is a fairytale and an honor to share a stage with Stevie Nicks!” Swift exclaimed as Nicks stood next to her. Hey, at least she’s not oblivious to the phenomenon taking place.

I wish those had been the last words to come from Swift’s mouth that night onstage. Moments later, during “Rhiannon”, she did her best to belt out, “She rules her life like a bird in flight…” Let’s just say her best was probably at par with Britney Spears’ worst.

After the “Rhiannon” slaughter fest, things began to look up for Swift. Together, Nicks and Swift sang Swift’s “You Belong With Me.” Taylor is no Whitney Houston while singing even her own songs, so it must have been nothing short of amazing for her to have had a renowned artist like Nicks sing a song Swift wrote when she was probably only 17. Now that’s pretty magical.

The night wasn’t a complete flop for Swift. She did take home four Grammys. But I think that’s more a sign of how phony the music industry has become and less a sign of Swift’s success.

Swift’s musical career has been fueled by the fact that she’s a cute, young, profitable blonde. Well, she won’t be cute and young forever. But her time in the limelight can be saved and extended. Rather than holding onto her fame by getting Botox injections down the road, I suggest a less painful solution: singing lessons.

[Lexi]

Where’s Kanye when you need him? While West wasn’t in the building the night of the Grammys this year, he should have been, to remind Taylor Swift during her performance with Stevie Nicks that Nicks, co-founder of Fleetwood Mac,

Journalism FAIL. Research FAIL. Common sense FAIL.
:shrug:

[coopcoop]

Journalism FAIL. Research FAIL. Common sense FAIL.
:shrug:

LOL.

The main thing I dont understand is why more people dont take Stevie to task for selling out and playing this star search/american idol type crap duet.

What in gods name is wrong with her management and her own decision making, horrible idea.

[vivfox]

<embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:485116" width="512" height="319" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashVars="configParams=vid%3D485116%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A485116" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed><div style="margin:0;text-align:center;width:500px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/" style="color:#439CD8;" target="_blank">MTV Shows</a></div>


Taylor Swift Is A ‘Strong Person,’ Pal Selena Gomez Says

‘What I admire most about Taylor is that she focuses on all the positive things,’ Gomez says of how Swift is dealing with backlash.

Even as fans and detractors continue to debate Taylor Swift’s Grammy performance, the pop sensation should know that she’s always got her friends and her loyal fans on her side.

Selena Gomez, who is pals with the Grammy-winning phenomenon, recently dished to MTV News about the backlash that Swift felt from music fans after her duet with Stevie Nicks. And while the criticism did sting a bit, Gomez explained that Swift can see the good in any situation. “What I admire most about Taylor is that she focuses on all the positive things — and that’s what I love about her,” Gomez said. “She won four Grammys. That was amazing.”

Swift, who not only just released a music video for her new single “Fearless,” but also starred in the hit movie “Valentine’s Day,” doesn’t dwell on the negative — she’s too busy to care about what criticism people want to lob at her. “That is really what she’s passionate about — [her career and her music],” Gomez explained. “And that’s what she loves. She’s a very strong person, so that’s what she’s honoring and that’s what I’m proud of her for.”

Regardless of what the haters have to say, Taylor is showing no signs of slowing down. She recently garnered two Kids’ Choice Awards nominations, she’s about to kick off a new leg of her Fearless tour and she’s already hard at work on a new album.

http://newmusicreviews.net/taylor-swift-is-a-strong-person-pal-selena-gomez-says/

[AgeOldDesire]

:laugh:

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[tilthefirefades]

^ :laugh: at stevie

"stevie who?"

[ButterCookie]

:laugh:

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Priceless. The other dude got Stevie's expression spot on ;)

[vivfox]

:laugh:

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This is great! I hope Stevie sees this!:laugh:

[Macfanforever]

Hahaha funny parody,cute hair too.also the Ellen show footage was awesome too, It was nice to see Roberta Flack there having fun too.I like her tunes too.

[nicksphan]

:laugh:

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Maybe we'll see a spoof of this at NOTS this year...the possibilities are endless, but I envision Stevie beating Taylor senseless with her tambo.

[Janis_no1]

Agreed... and THIS is proof!

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I just looked everywhere... for this!